Fallout continues following ‘violent disorder’ at Man Utd protests over weekend
Six officers were injured during the demonstrations at Old Trafford, with one video of an officer appearing to strike someone on the ground being referred to the GMP Standards Branch.
Greater Manchester Police has launched an investigation into the ‘violent disorder’ at Old Trafford over the weekend – which culminated in multiple injuries, one arrest, and a video of officer conduct being referred for an internal review.
Over 1,000 fans attended Manchester United’s stadium on Sunday (May 2) ahead of the Premier League fixture with Liverpool as part of a demonstration against the club’s owners – with hundreds more gathering outside the Lowry Hotel.
Some supporters managed to break into Old Trafford itself and get onto the pitch.
The game was ultimately postponed.
Various protests have been held against the Glazer owners since the American family took full control of Man Utd in 2005. Sunday’s demonstration had been organised in response to the club’s proposed participation in the much-maligned – and now defunct – European Super League.
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📸 Manchester United fans storm Old Trafford to protest against Glazers on pitch pic.twitter.com/FBWiOS5AJH
Some parts of Sunday’s demonstrations proceeded peacefully – with supporters groups hailing a “victory“.
But later in the day, a series of ensuing scuffles resulted in six police officers being injured after being “met with hostility”.
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GMP said that “flares were let off and bottles and barriers were thrown at police and horses.”
Assistant Chief Constable Nick Bailey called some of the behaviour “absolutely atrocious.”
He added: “Officers were just trying to do their job and facilitate a peaceful protest, however a number of those present became hostile and aggressive towards officers and forced entry to the football grounds, making it very clear that this protest was not peaceful and ruining it for the majority of protesters who had not intended for the protest to become violent.”
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One officer suffered a fractured eye socket in the disorder, whereas another “sustained a wound to his face following bottles and cans being thrown from the crowd”. Another officer was reportedly “dragged and kicked”.
Police say that a 28-year-old man has been arrested as a consequence of the investigation into the protests.
A video has also appeared on social media which appears to show an officer striking an individual on the ground after dragging them behind a police van.
According to the MEN, the footage was recorded by the team hotel and occurred after some supporters had been blocking vehicles on the nearby road.
GMP released a statement in reference to the footage that reads: “We are aware of a video circulating online of officers making an arrest during a protest today (2 May) near The Lowry Hotel.
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“The video depicts officers arresting a 28-year-old male on suspicion of a theft from a motor vehicle and a public order offence. He currently remains in custody for questioning.
“GMP’s Professional Standards Branch has been made aware of the video and will be examining the footage and all available evidence to understand the full circumstances surrounding the arrest.”
📸 Anti Glazer protests at Old Trafford today that led to the postponement of Manchester United v Liverpool
Was such a proud weekend to be a Manchester United fan. To see such organised protests on 2 fronts, postponing the biggest game in English football, in a stand against the Glazers, was incredible. It’s just the beginning. 👊 pic.twitter.com/upVXL2nFkE
— United Peoples TV (@UnitedPeoplesTV) May 4, 2021
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has also spoken out regarding the protests, telling reporters: “I don’t think it’s a good idea to have disruptive behaviour, demonstrations of that kind.
“But on the other hand, I do understand people’s strength of feeling.
“And I think that it’s a good thing that we have been able to do things that make it pretty clear that the European Super League is not going to be appreciated by the people of this country, or by this Government.”
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GMP is also appealing for any footage from the event itself as the investigation continues.
Featured image: mufctilly
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Oasis finally confirm ‘private ballot’ ticket information for reunion tour
Daisy Jackson
Oasis have just announced more information about how tickets will be sold through a ‘private ballot’ for their extra reunion tour dates.
The group added two additional shows at Wembley Stadium after their initial 17 gigs across London, Manchester, Dublin, Edinburgh and Cardiff generated huge demand and sold out in a day.
Oasis and Ticketmaster came under fire though for the use of dynamic pricing, which saw ticket prices shoot up by hundreds of pounds by the time people made it through the online queues.
For these additional reunion tour dates at Wembley, ticket sales will look a little different.
They’ll be using a ‘private ballot’, which will give first dibs to those who missed out on the first ticket sale.
You’ll only be invited to register for the sale if you signed into your Ticketmaster account on Saturday 31 August, and joined a queue for a specific show.
And you’ll only receive an invitation if you DIDN’T manage to bag tickets the first time round.
THEN you’ll be able to register for the actual ballot, which still doesn’t guarantee you a ticket but does at least get you into a (hopefully less lengthy) queue.
“Invitations to enter the private ballot will be sent overnight tonight (Saturday) to eligible fans we have been able to identify.
“If you signed into your Ticketmaster UK account on Saturday, 31st August, and were able to join a queue for a specific show, but didn’t get a ticket-then you may be eligible to take part and will receive an email on how to register for the ballot.
“Keep an eye on the inbox associated with your Ticketmaster account, and don’t forget to check your junkmail.
“Once successfully registered, you will be entered into the ballot for a code for access to the final Wembley on sale.
“Due to the demand for the shows and to avoid last week’s long queues, codes will be strictly limited. Entry to the ballot does not guarantee you will receive a code.
“The ballot is only open to invited fans. You must register with the email to which your invitation was sent and which is registered with your Ticketmaster account.
“All other entries will be discounted. If you do not receive an email then unfortunately you will not be eligible for the ballot.
“You will be automatically discounted from the ballot, even if you go through the registration process.”
Featured image: Simon Emmett
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Manchester Airport named UK’s worst in annual Which? survey for third year running
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Airport has officially been declared the worst airport in the UK, according to a new survey by Which?… yet again.
The summer travel season may be drawing to a close now, with hundreds of flights having taken off and landed in our region over the last couple of months, but for any Greater Manchester holidaymakers who are still yet to jet off, an annual ranking by consumer choice group Which? has proved to be pretty grim reading.
That’s because several terminals at the UK’s third largest airport have found themselves at the bottom of the list in Which? latest findings.
Manchester Airport has hit back at the survey and defended itself, saying its own passenger surveys suggest people are “much more positive” about the airport, adding that it was “proud to give people in all parts of the North easy and affordable access to nearly 200 different destinations across the world”.
For its annual survey, Which? spoke to nearly 7,000 passengers to gather feedback about their experiences of flying from UK airports over the last 12 months, and asked them to score the airports across 11 categories.
Manchester Airport has been named the worst in the UK for the third year running / Credit: The Manc Group
Some of these categories including seating, staff, toilets, and of course, the queues we all dread at check in, bag drop, passport control, and security.
And just like in both 2022 and again in 2023, it was Manchester Airport Terminal 3 that ranked right at the bottom, receiving the lowest customer satisfaction score of 37%.
Manchester Terminal 1 ranked one place above that with a score of 40%, while Manchester Terminal 2 was a little further up the the list with a score of 51%, and just saw Luton Airport, London Stansted, and Belfast International Airport sandwiched in between it.
According to Which?, some of the complaints it received about Manchester Airport from passengers who responded to the survey this year was that older people struggled with long walks due to travelators being broken since 2021, difficulties with finding a seat, and “horrendous” queues with people apparently being “corralled like cattle”.
As mentioned though, Manchester Airport has slammed Which?’s findings in a formal statement.
The UK’s third largest airport has hit back at the survey results and defended itself / Credit:
Describing the survey as “disappointing to see”, Manchester Airport’s statement reads: “We understand not every experience is perfect and want all passengers to feel able to raise their concerns directly with us. That is why we speak to them on a daily basis, surveying hundreds of people a month to get in-the-moment feedback from a full range of perspectives.
“That is in stark contrast to Which?, which conducted a tiny and unrepresentative survey of its members six months ago, asking them to recollect airport experiences that could have been as far back in time as April 2023.
“Which? fully understands that its readers form a narrow group of passengers whose views cannot in any way be taken to represent those of the travelling public at large, but chooses to promote its survey findings as if they do.”
Manchester Airport says it’s disappointing see Which? “chase cheap headlines” with its “sensational and over-simplified characterisation of airports” and the different roles they play, adding: “To make matters worse, it has printed inaccurate statements about our facilities and security waiting times that paint a more negative picture than reality.